Cartons



July 28, 1959 G. E. STRUBLE CARTONS Filed Jan. 1s, 195e 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. GLENN E. sTRuBLE ATTORNEYS July 28, 1959 G, E. STRUBLE 2,896,780

CARTONS Filed Jan. 13, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lFIG-5 FIG-4 sz 46 4a FIG-5 33 52 38 se 45 24 56 11 is@ 64 28 1a sz 32 50 5o `INVENTOR.

N E. STRUB E 34 34 BY GLEN L.

45 Wwww# ATTORNEYS July- 28, 1959 G. E. sTRuBLE CARTONS 4 Sheets-Shed'l 4 Filed Jan. 13, 1956 FIG-14 FIG-12 FIG-15 FIG-17 56' INVENTOR.

GLENN E. STRUBLE ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 2,896,780 CARTONS Glenn E. Struble, Hamilton, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Diamond Gardner Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application January 13, 1956, Serial No. 559,039 Ks claims. (Cl. 20s-6s) This application relates to cartons of the type used in packaging and displaying cans and like articles having chimed portions about the top and bottom of the articles.

'It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved carton for packaging and displaying articles having chimed portions wherein the carton locks about the chimed portions to retain the'articles in position within the carton and displaying a major portion of the front and sides of each article while so packaged.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a carton from a unitary blank of sheet material which may be cut from a large sheet of the material with a minimum of waste.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a carton wherein the top and bottom of the carton is less in width, front to back, than the width orf the articles to be packaged therein, and wherein portions of the carton are slit to receive and lock against adjacent chimed portions of the packaged articles to retain the articles in place within the carton.

An additional object of this invention is to provide such a carton within which the articles to be packaged may be quickly and easily enfolded and securely retained.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention l will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings andthe appendedy claims.

Inthedrawingsar Fig. 1 is a plan view of the blank of vided by the'present invention; Fig. 2 illustrates ,an intermediate step of the blank of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 shows the rst ystepin the erection of a blank preparatory to packaging articles therein;

Fig. 4 illustrates an intermediate step in the packaging operation with a carton according to this invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a package including the carton according to the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3; Y f l Fig. 7 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3; f

a carton as proiny the assembly carton Fig. 8 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through the package of Fig. 5; f

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modied carton blank according to the present invention; Y n

Figs. 10 and ll'illustrate successive steps in the assembly of the blank of Fig. 9; v l f Fig. 12 is a partiall section taken on line 12-12 of Fig. ll; Y Y l Figs. v13 and 14 are views similar to Fig l2'showing successive steps in erection of the carton from the at folded form of Fig. 12;

Fig. 15 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation illustrating the packaging of articles having chimed portions in the carton of Fig. 9; Y

Fig. 16 is a side elevational view of the completed package; and

Patented July 28, 1959 Fig. 17 is an enlarged partial section showing the locking of the carton about chimed portions of the packaged article. I

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate preferred embodiments of the present invention, and particularly to Fig. l, there is shown a carton according tov the present invention and preferably formed from a single blank of sheet material which is scored and cut to provide a rear panel 10 and top and bottom panels 11 and 12 connected to opposite edges of panel 10 along fold lines 13 and 14, respectively. The blank is substantially symmetrical, and a series of ilaps extends from the edges of panels 11 and 12 opposite from rear panel 10, the top sen'es being connected to top panel 11 along a fold line 15 and including an outer flap 17, an intermediate flap 19, and an inner ap 21, hingedly connected to each otherin that order along score lines 18 and 20 as shown in the drawing. i

The series of aps provided for the bottom of the carton includes anrouter ilap 24 hinged along line 25 to panel 12, an intermediate ap 26 hinged along score line 27 to flap 24, and an inner llap 28 hingedly connected to flap 26 along score line 29. Y The above described series of flaps are adapted for folding during lerection of the carton to provide upper and lower front walls on the assembled carton, as will presently be described.

Along adjacent sides of the top, bottom and rear panels there are provided a plurality of end panels which cooperate to form partial end Walls on the completed carton. Each such series of end panels includes a central panel 32 extending from opposite sides of rear panel 10, and connected at opposite sides with upper and lower side panels 33 and 34 along short score lines 35 and 36, which are respectively continuations of the main score lines 13 and 14. Each panel 32 also is provided with score lines 38 extending on a bias across panels 32 away from the rear panel 10 and the score lines 36. These fold lines 38 provide for a bellows-type of folding attachment between panels 32 and the top and bottom side panels 33 and 34, respectively. Extending from the free side of panels 33 are glue flaps 40 which are hingedly connected at 41. to the side panels 33, and in like manner glue aps 42` are hingedly connected at 43V to side panels 34. Panels 33 and 34 are also provided with fold lines 45 extending on a bias from the common point connecting panel 34, panel 12, and llap 24, in the case of the side panels 34, and score lines 46 extending on a bias from the common point connecting panels 33, panel 11 and flaps 17, in the case of side panels 33. These score lines 45 and 46 likewise provide for a bellowstype of fold between the top and bottom side panels and their associated glue flaps.

The cartons provided by this invention are particularly adapted to packaging cans and like articles which have chimed portions or ridges extending radially and longitudinally from their top and bottom. One such article 50 is shown in Fig. 3 having the chimed portions 52 at its top and bottom. The width of the top and bottom panels 11 and 12 is slightly less, front to back, than the diameter of the chime parts of the cans to be packaged, and provision is made in the carton for accommodating the larger width of the chimes, and for positioning and locking the cans i-n the carton.

Referring to Fig. l, aseries of slightly curved slits 55 extending longitudinally of the carton blank is provided inthe rear panel 10, with the ends of the slits terminating adjacent the fold lines 13 and 14 to define openings in the rear panel of the erected carton and to provide vtabs 56 which extend substantially coplanar with the top and bottom panels 11 and 12 when the carton is erected. The

openings so provided receive adjacent chimed portions 52 of the cans 50 and provide for a snug fit between the walls of the cans and the rear panel 10. Furthermore, a plurality of transversely extending slits 58 are also provided in rear panel 10, with one each of the slits S8 intersecting a slit 55, and providing for expansion of the portions of the rear panel adjacent the openings to receive the adjacent chimed portions of the cans.

ln like manner, each of the intermediate flaps i9 and 26 is provided with a series of curved longitudinally extending slits 69 having ends terminating adjacent the score lines 29 and 29, respectively, and transverse slits 62 are provided across the flaps 19 and 26 intersecting one each of the slits 6?. This construction provides a portion in each of the front walls formed by the aps 17, 19 and 21, and the flaps 24, 26 and 28, which is adapted to press against the cans to urge each can against the rear panel and also to lock over adjacent chimed portions of the cans to retain them in position in the carton, as will presently be described.

Fig. 2A shows the blank of Fig. l in an intermediate step of folding and gluing thereof into flat-folded form for shipping and/or storage. In the course of` such folding a suitable adhesive is applied to the glue aps 4t) and l 42, as indicated by the stippled surface on aps 40 in Fig. 2, and portions of side panels 33 and 34 are folded over along the bias score lines 4S and 46, together with theglue aps 40 and 42. The bottom flaps 24, 26 and 23 are then folded over as a unit along line 25, as shown in Fig. 2, with the glue flaps 42 adhered to the inner surface of the outer flap 24. Likewise, the top flaps 17, 19 and 21 are folded as a unit along fold line 15 to provide for adherence of ap 40 to ilap 17.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate steps in packaging the cans 50 within the carton of Figs. 1 and 2, and in Fig. 3 the top and bottom flap series have been moved to an erected position with consequent drawing of the end panels into an upright or erected position, due to the straightening of end panels 33 and 34 across the bias fold lines 45 and 46. The intermediate aps 19 and 26 are pressed against the inner surface of outer flaps 17 and 24, covering thel respective glue ilaps 40 and 42, and the inner aps 21 and 28 rest upon the inner surface of the top and bottom panels EL?. and 12, respectively. After the cans or other articles to be packaged are placed within the thus partially erected carton, with one can for each pair of opposed pair of slits 55, the top and bottom panels are drawn upwardly as indicated in Fig. 4, with the side end panels 33 and 34 buckling outwardly somewhat due to formation of the bellows fold along lines 33 on the central side panels 32. The top and bottom flaps are pressed over the upwardly facing chimed topsand bottorns of the cans, and lock over these chimed portions 52 to retain the cans in position within the carton. The chimed portions adjacent the rear panel 19 are forced through the resulting openings dened by slits 55, as seen in Fig. 8, and the chimed portions at the front of the cans are received within the openings provided by slits 6) in the top and bottom flaps. The completed package, seen in Fig. 5, thus includes a large central opening defined by the upper and lower front walls formed from the upper and lower flaps, and since the central side panels 32 cover only a portion of the sides of the end cans in the package, a major portion of the cans is open to View.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, the relative position of the wall forming flaps at the top and bottomV of the carton is illustrated with reference to the bottom flaps only,

wherein the outer iiap 24 is seen to extend substantially vertically with respect to the bottom panel 12, and wherein the intermediate flap 26 is folded over the glue flaps 42 and extends downwardly and somewhat inwardly with respect to the bottom panel 12. The inner Hap 28 rests upon the inner surface of panel 12, and the tab portions 64, resulting from the folding movement of aps 26 and 28 with respect to each other, abut the inner surface of outer fiap 24 as shown Fig. 6. YSlits 62V provide for expansion of the intermediate ap adjacent to the chimed i portions of the cans received within the openings provided by slits 60, and thus these portions of flap 26 press against the side of the can, urging it against rear panel 10, and also abut the radial shoulder provided by the chimed portions 52 on the cans to lock the cans in position within the carton, and at the same time to lock the lower front wall in position. The construction of the upper front wall is the same as just described for the lower front wall.

Referring to Figs. 9-18, a modified form of carton is illustrated wherein like reference numerals indicate parts which are the same as the parts just described in connection `with Figs. 1-8. Thus, there is a rear panel'lt and top and bottom panels 11 and 12 connected to panel 10 along fold lines 13 and 14. The end panel and glue flap construction is the same as in the blank shown in Fig. l, 1cut upper and lower wall forming iiaps are provided including in the upper series an4 outer flap 77, an intermediate'flap 79 and an inner flap '81. Similarly, lower wall forming flaps are provided including an outer ap 84, an intermediate ap S6 andl an inner flap 88; The upper apsare connected to eachother along fold lines 78 and S0, and the lower flaps are likewise connected along fold lines S7 and S9. The arrangement of the slits in rear panel 1U is substantially the same as in Fig. l, except that the longitudinallyk extending slits 55 'are somewhat straighter and have more sharply curved ends terminating at the connecting fold vlines 13 and'14 and providing narrow tabs 56'.

ln the assembly of this carton adhesive is applied to flaps S1 and S8, and they areV folded along their respective connecting score lines di) and 89 to adhere'to the adjacent intermediate aps 79 and 86. The glue flaps 40 and 42 are then folded over along with the adjacent portions of end panels 33 on the bias fold lines 45 and 46, adhesive is applied to the glue aps as indicated by the stippled surfaceon flaps 46 in Fig. l0, and the top and bottom flaps are folded along their connections with the adjacent top and bottom panels with consequent adherence of the outer flaps 77 and 84 to glue flaps 40 and 42.

Figs. 13-16 indicate the steps in assembling the carton from the flat folded form partially shown in Fig. 1l to package cans or articles having chimed portions at their top and bottom. It will be noted that the inner flaps 81 and 88 are somewhat narrower in widththan the adjacent intermediate aps 79 and 86, and also are of less width than the associated outer flaps 77 and 84. Thus, as these aps are folded over a space 90 is left along the inner surface of the outer aps 77 and 84 adjacent the top and bottom panels 11 and 12, as shown in Figs. 15 and 16. As the front Walls formed from thevflaps` are pressed over the front upper and lower sections of the cans, the chimed portions will enter the space 90 and the upper and lower front walls will be locked in position, retaining the cans within the carton and pressing the cans against rear panel 10 to urge the chimed portions through the openings defined by the slits 55.

The complete package is shown in Fig. 17, wherein it will be noted that the substantial portion of the cans or other articles is open to view, providing an elfective display package.

' While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A carton for packaging and displaying chimed cans and like articles comprising arrear panel and ,top and bottom panels connected to opposite sides of said rear panel along fold lines, said top and bottom panels being of flaps extending from the edge thereof opposite from said rear panel, each said series including an outer ap attached to the associated said panel, an intermediate flap attached to said outer flap, and an inner flap attached to said intermediate flap, said ilaps in each said series cooperating to provide upper and lower front walls dening a central open space across the front of the carton, each of said walls having portions adapted to lock over adjacent chimed portions of the cans and to press the cans against said rear panel, said rear panel having longitudinally extending slits therein each terminating adjacent said fold lines connecting said rear panel with said top and bottom panels to provide tabs projecting substantially coplanar with said top and bottom panels and deining openings in said rear panels for receiving adjacent chimed portions of the cans, and means for holding said front walls in substantially parallel relation to said rear panel to lock about the chime portions of the cans and retain the cans in position within the carton.

2. A carton for packaging and displaying cans and like articles having chimed portions about the top and bottom thereof, comprising a rear panel, top and bottom panels extending forwardly from the upper and lower edges of said rear panel to cover the top and bottom of the articles, aps extending from the edges of said top and bottom panels opposite from said rear panel providing upper and lower front walls and dening a large central opening across the front of said carton, said top and bottom panels being slightly less in width between the connection thereof with said rear panel and said flaps than the width of the chime portions of the cans to be packaged, said rear panel and said aps including slitted portions located near said top and bottom panels for receiving the chimed portions of the cans and providing for engagement of the adjacent portions of said rear panel and said aps with said surfaces of the cans, and means for urging said rear panel and said flaps into engagement with side surfaces of the cans to retain the chimed portions thereof within said slitted portions.

3. In a carton of the character described for packaging and displaying cans and similar articles having chimed portions about the top and bottom thereof, the combination of top and bottom panels of a width slightly less than the width of the chime portions of the cans, a rear panel integrally connecting said top and bottom panels, flaps extending from the free edge of said top panel opposite said rear panel and forming an upper front wall on the carton, flaps extending from the free edge of said bottom panel opposite said rear panel forming a lower front wall on the carton, side panels connected to the sides of said rear, top and bottom panels and to the side of said upper and lower front walls forming side walls on the carton, portions of the integral connections between said rear panel and said top and bottom panels having slits therein dening openings for receiving adjacent chimed portions of the articles, and portions of said aps having slits therein located substantially in alignment with said aforementioned slits transversely of the carton to receive chimed portions of the articles adjacent said front walls of the carton.

4. A carton for packaging and displaying chimed cans and like articles comprising a rear panel, top and bottom panels extending from opposite edges of said rear panel, iiaps attached to the edges of said top and bottom panels opposite from said rear panels forming upper and lower front walls and defining a large central opening across the front of the carton, the width ot said top and bottom panels between said rear panel and the associated said flaps being slightly less than the width of the articles to be packaged, said rear panel having longitudinally extending s'lits therein adjacent the connections between said top and bottom panels and said rear panel, each said slit terminating approximately at the fold line deiining the joint between said rear panel and the respective said top and bottom panels and extending inwardly of said rear panel to provide a tab projecting outwardly from the rear of the carton substantially coplanar with said top and bottom panels, said rear panel also having transversely extending slits therein one each of which intersects one of said longitudinally extending slits to provide -for expansion of the portions of said rear panel adjacent said tabs under pressure from the articles packaged therein, and said front walls including portions adapted to press against the articles and lock over the chimed portions thereon to urge the chimed portions adjacent said rear panel through said slits and retain the articles in position within the carton.

5. In a carton of the character described for use in packaging cans and the like having chime portions at opposite ends thereof, top and bottom panels of a width slightly less than the width of the chime portions of the cans, a plurality of flaps connected to the free edges of said top and bottom panels opposite from said rear panel and forming partial front walls on said carton opposite said rear panel dening a large central opening across the front 'of said carton, portions of the connections between said rear panel and said top and bottom panels having slits therein defining openings for receiving the chime portions at the opposite ends of the cans, each said plurality of flaps including an outer flap hinged to one of said top and bottom panels and a further ap hinged to said outer flap, said further flaps having portions thereon dimensioned to abut the chime portions of the cans and retain the cans within said carton, and means including side panels positively connecting said rear panel to said front walls retaining said front walls substantially parallel to said rear panel for holding said front walls in locked position over the chime portions at the ends of the cans.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,171,615 Wesselman Sept. 5, 1939 2,331,038 Meller Oct. 5, 1943 2,450,035 De Main Sept. 28, 1948 2,554,190 Hennessey May 22, 1951 

